How do I register?

Registering to vote is quick and easy. It takes just a few minutes online. You will need to provide your National Insurance number, which can be found on your National Insurance card, on your payslip or letters about benefits or tax credits.

You can also respond by telephone on 0800 197 9871 or by text on 80212. Alternatively you can complete the form and post it back to use in the envelope provided (postage is free).

If someone has moved to the property, or is about to turn 18, we can then send them an individual registration form.

This year our annual canvass will begin 17 July, when the first batch of household enquiry forms will be sent out. A second batch will be sent 14 August, and our canvassers will visit those who have not responded from 15 August onwards.

FAQs

I've completed the household enquiry form - does that mean I am registered to vote?

If you are already registered and have confirmed your details by completing the household enquiry form, you don't need to do anything.

If you have moved address since the last election you will need to register at your new address. Completing the household enquiry form does not mean you are registered to vote - you must be on the electoral register to vote.

I've already registered, will I still get a canvass form?

Yes, everyone in the UK receives a form called a household enquiry form every year, even if they are already on the electoral register. The purpose of the form is to confirm who lives at your address. It also means that we can invite other residents, including any 16 and 17 year-olds to register to vote if we need to.

What will happen after I complete the household enquiry form?

The information provided on the form will allow us to send separate individual registration forms to all the people in your household who are eligible to vote but are not registered.

What will the household enquiry form ask?

Completing the form only takes a few minutes. You need to include the name and nationality of everyone aged 16 or over who is resident and eligible to register to vote. If there are no eligible residents, you should state why this is the case. If anyone listed on the household enquiry form is not living at your address, their name/s should be clearly crossed through.

There are people listed on the household enquiry form that don't live here, what do I do?

If anyone listed on the HEF is not living at your address, their name/s should be clearly crossed through and any new residents should be added.

I thought everyone had to register individually now - why do I need to put down everyone who lives here?

The household enquiry forms seeks to confirm the eligible voters living at your address. We will then send separate individual registration forms to all the people in your household who are eligible to vote but are not registered.

Do I have to fill in the household enquiry form?

By law, you need to provide the information requested on the household enquiry form. There is a criminal penalty of a maximum of £1,000 for failing to provide the information required by the household enquiry form. The penalty for providing false information is imprisonment of up to 6 months or, (on summary conviction) an unlimited fine.

Do I need to include my email address and phone number on the household enquiry form?

You are invited to include your email address and phone number on the household enquiry form, but you do not have to. We will use this information only in connection with your registration, and it helps us to contact you if there is a problem.

I have already returned a household enquiry form, do I need to return the registration form I've received too?

You should complete and return the registration form or register online. The household enquiry form is not a registration form, but instead provides us with information on who lives in your household. This means we can invite other residents, including any 16 or 17 year-olds, to register to vote if we need to.

Only certain people and organisations can have copies of the full register and they can only use it for specified purposes. These include electoral purposes, the prevention and detection of crime and checking your identity when you have applied for credit.

The open register

The open register leaves out the names and addresses of people who have asked for them to be excluded from the version of the register. It can be bought by anyone who asks for a copy and they may use it for any purpose.